1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to Internet and World Wide Web (“WWW”). More particularly, this invention relates to a personalized Internet content server system that provides personalized content service and content management to Internet users.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is known, the Internet typically refers to a number of data service systems connected together via a high speed interconnect network. Each data service system typically includes web or other content servers that host contents for various customers. The servers can also host applications. Each of the data service systems is typically implemented by a computer system (e.g., a server computer system). A number of remote user terminals may be connected to a data service system via an interconnect network (e.g., a telephone network). The remote user terminals are typically referred to as clients.
This arrangement allows users at the user terminals to access the contents, services, and/or applications hosted in various data service systems. Each user terminal is equipped with a web browser that allows the user terminal to access the contents, services, and/or applications hosted in various data service systems.
More and more entities now have their own web sites and/or web pages. For example, Hewlett-Packard Company has a home page at “www.hp.com”. When a user accesses that site, the user can get news announcement, product information, and contact information, etc. The user may also be permitted to purchase products via that site. The user can also move to other pages to get even more information and/or service. This means a site may contain hundred or even thousand web pages. This is typically the case if the user accesses an Internet portal site such as “www.yahoo.com”, or “www.aol.com”. Nowadays, persons or entities wanting to have their content hosted and accessed via the Internet can employ data farms to host their content. Data farm refers to a service provider that has the server system (or multiple systems) that can host contents for various customers. In this case, the customers do not have to individually purchase and maintain the necessary hardware to host their contents.
In addition to this, a wide variety of new Internet-based media delivery platforms have also been developed. Internet radio is just one example of such platforms. Under this platform, the broadcaster only needs to employ a special audio web server as the radio station to broadcast audio signals over the Internet. The broadcast from an Internet radio station can be picked up by any client system with audio processing and playing capabilities.
The Internet radio technology allows the listeners to have access to a huge and growing number of Internet radio stations, and thus huge amount of content. Today, there are approximately thousands of Internet radio stations worldwide, and the number is still growing rapidly.
However, the rapid growth of the Internet and widespread use of Web (WWW) have made it very difficult for Internet users to effectively and efficiently manage contents of their choice or preference. The Internet users also find it difficult to identify contents of their choice. This is especially true in Internet radio broadcasting. As of today, there does not exist a mechanism that helps Internet users manage contents of their preferences, or aids listeners of Internet radio stations in identifying and managing audio broadcasts of their preferences.